Engine problems

[Yoshi]

I just tried topping up the oil in the mundano only for less than a minute after doing it there was loads of white stuff coming out the exhaust!  Emptied all the oil out and its still doing it, just not as badly.

The oil we put in was 20w50 and its a 1.8 16v Ford Mondeo 1995.

Could the oil be the fault?

[Drift]

When you say white stuff, you mean like fluff, cotton wool or liquid?
Ste

[Yoshi]

fumes type stuff, and it also smelled like it was burning something, but its not used any water, and the engine temp has been fine.

[Drift]

The oil could be a bit heavy  

Though it does point to the dreaded head gasket.

Could be water getting into a cylinder and being burned off.
Ste

[Yoshi]

When we dropped all the oil out though it stopped doing it a little, probably half as much, so am going to try and run some other oil in it tomorrow and see what she does.

[Range Rover Blues]

Should be 5w/30 in that or the hydraulic lifters will seize up.

[waveydavey]

How old is the oil? White generally points to water; is it possible a little water could have got into the oil?

[Yoshi]

the oil was brand new and bottled, but the wrong stuff apparently!  would the hydraulic lifters cause the engine to splutter slightly if they were seized (engine was spluttering and cutting out a bit after the oil went in)